With the introduction of new and more durable types of synthetic resins and polymers in protective and decorative coatings, the problem of stripping has become increasingly difficult. Prior art paint removers typically contain blends of aromatic solvents, ketones, paraffin, methanol and diluents, for example, mineral spirits in order to reduce raw material costs. Those prior art strippers made with the foregoing solvents focused industry attention on the flammable and toxic characteristics.
As an alternative, improved prior art solvents utilize chlorinated solvents as a way to extend the usefulness of paint strippers while simultaneously reducing fire hazards associated with their use. Methylene chloride (dichloromethane) has been almost universally used as the solvent of choice, although some compositions have been formulated with ethylene dichloride and trichlorethylene, among other chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents. Many of the chlorinated hydrocarbons including methylene chloride are suspected carcinogens and methylene chloride is designated a hazardous substance under the Federal Hazardous Substance Act (FHSA). In addition, methylene chloride, as a high vapor pressure chlorinated solvent, probably contributes to atmospheric ozone depletion. Methanol is a poison if ingested and the U.S. Consumer Products Safty Commission requires a warning designating it as a poison when its concentration in consumer products exceeds 4 percent by weight. Toluene contains trace quantities of benzene, a known carcinogen, and acetone with its high vapor pressure and low flash point is highly flammable in many prior art compositions.
Paint strippers which include methylene chloride can be formulated to soften, lift and blister paint films. The stripper which is applied to the substrate by brush, immersion or spray and allowed to loosen the paint or varnish has an available work life of only several minutes because of the tendency of the methylene chloride to evaporate rapidly. Because of the high vapor pressure of methylene chloride, in an effort to extend the work life of the stripper made with that solvent, paraffin is often included as an evaporation suppressant. The paraffin functions by forming a thin film at the surface of the paint remover which retards evaporation. This thin film formation and resultant evaporation suppressant activity of paraffin is produced by the evaporation and surface chilling which occur when methylene chloride or mixtures containing methylene chloride are exposed to air. However, methylene chloride strippers must be handled carefully since they are highly toxic and can cause severe skin irritation. Further, even with the incorporation of paraffin, the volatility of the methylene chloride is still very high and when methylene chloride is formulated with, for example, toluene, the resulting high levels of hydrocarbon emissions necessitate the provision of good ventilation to safely use the methylene chloride paint strippers.
A further disadvantage of paint strippers formulated with methylene chloride is that the short work life compromises the ability of the stripper to function efficiently in many applications. For example, many industrial uses of paint strippers involve stripping accumulated paint from equipment and walls. Paint strippers utilizing methylene chloride, suffer from the disadvantage that the short work life prevents the stripper from entering crevices in the accumulated paint layers thus creating the necessity, in some cases, of applying a large number of applications of stripper to remove a number of accumulated paint layers. Furthermore, the short work life of methylene chloride creates a recoating phenomenon in which stripped paint recoats the surface of one of the accumulated paint layers or the surface to be stripped as the solvent evaporates.
To remove paint on vertical surfaces, a thickener is generally added to avoid the problem of stripper flowing off the surface before it has had a chance to remove the paint layer. It is preferable to add a thickener, which in combination with the other stripper ingredients, may be easily washed off the surface after the stripping has taken place. However, if a paint stripper is too thick, it may be used on vertical surfaces, but it may not be amenable to spraying. Furthermore, the use of methylene chloride within the stripper may evaporate, thus producing a stripper which varies greatly in viscosity as a function of the evaporation time of the solvents in the stripper. Depending upon the required viscosity and the compatibility of the paint stripper ingredients with the paint stripper thickening system it may be necessary to reformulate the paint stripper with each application. Because of their high flash point, stripping compositions of the present invention may be adapted for a number of applications by simply changing the amount and type of thickener employed without modifying the other components. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, organoclay rheological additives, especially including the stearalkonium hectorites are utilized to produce paint stripper compositions exhibiting enhanced characteristics. Surprisingly, the use of organoclay rheological additives produces highly active paint stripping compositions which exhibit excellent activity even when up to about 45% by weight water is included in the formulation.